Rotatable urinal combined with a toilet

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is a rotatable urinal combined with a toilet. The rotatable urinal includes, in a upper part thereof, a urinal drain tube of a U-shape trap, a urine connecting tube which is rotatable and height adjustable, a lid, and a water supply tube and a water supply valve to disperse the cleaning water. Where, the urinal drain tube is formed in both parts of the top surface of a rear part of a toilet body as one body type with the toilet body for users to assemble the rotatable urinal in any of the left side and right side. The rotatable urinal helps to use much less water by assembling and installing the rotatable urinal in the toilet separately.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a rotatable urinal combined with a toilet, and more particularly, relates to a rotatable urinal which can be combined separately to a general toilet for a purpose of conserving water.

BACKGROUND ART

It is assumed that water which can be used by human beings on the planet is only 0.3% of the existing water, and currently 40% of the world is under the water shortage. Due to the climate changes and increase of population, the water shortage became one of the most serious issues in the world. In case of Korea, the Water Poverty Index (WPI) is currently ranked on 20^(th) among 29 member countries of Organization Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD). Also, the usable volume of fresh water per capita per year of Korea is ranked 129^(th) among 153 countries, thus, Korea is classified as one of the global water-stressed countries.

To solve this water shortage, it is required to develop more water resources for increasing the water supply as well as to reduce water consumption and leakage so as to keep the balance of the water supply and consumption.

Allegedly, 5% of the water used by the human beings is consumed in urinals. Normally, bathrooms in general office buildings or public facilities have urinals for men equipped independently from toilets. However, bathrooms in general housings, apartments or condominiums do not have independent urinals for men due to space or aesthetic issues.

In using the conventional toilets, the same volume of water should be wasted regardless of whether solid or liquid waste is being disposed of.

Additionally, in usual, when men urinate in upright posture on conventional toilet, the urine can be scattered around, which is unsanitary and offensive to the next user as well as a noise from the falling urine gives another offensive and even embarrassing to others.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Technical Subjects

To resolve the above described problems, the present invention provides a rotatable urinal which can be assembled separately with the toilet body so as to save water drastically.

Also, the present invention provides a rotatable urinal of which rotation angle and height can be adjusted and thereby a contamination and a noise from scattered urinal can be prevented.

Means of Problem Solving

In order to resolve the problems described above, a rotatable urinal combined with a toilet of the present invention comprises: a urinal drain tube of a U-shape trap of which a bottom part is connected to a toilet drain and an upper part is formed in both sides of top surface of a rear part of the toilet body as one body with the toilet body, so that users can assemble and connect the urinal to a left or right sides, a rotatable and height adjustable urinal connecting tube, a urinal body including a lid and a water supply tube and a water supply valve to dispense washing water.

In an embodiment, it is characterized that a human body detection sensor attached inside of the lid activates the water valve by generating detection signal when the lid is opened.

In another embodiment, it is characterized that a contact sensor with contact terminals installed respectively in the urinal lid and the urinal body activates the water supply valve when the lid is opened and the circuit is opened.

In another embodiment, it is characterized that the height of the urinal body can be adjusted by a urinal connecting tube consisting of a sliding tube.

In another embodiment, it is characterized that a height and angle of the urinal body can be adjusted by a urinal connecting tube consisting of a flexible tube.

The Effect of the Invention

The present invention has an effect of saving water enormously because the rotatable urinal separately installed in a toilet spends only 1/40 of water comparing to a normal toilet. Also, the rotatable urinal of present invention can be installed without the constraints of a space because the urinal drain tubes are provided in both sides of the toilet, so the users can install the rotatable urinal in any of the left or right side, with considering the bathroom space. Besides, the rotatable urinal of the present invention prevents urine scattering and noise, by controlling the rotation angle and heights of the urinal, thereby resolve the offensiveness and embarrassment and eventually create the hygienic environment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a view of a rotatable urinal combined with a toilet of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the rotational urinal combined with the toilet, and a view of a sensor attached in the rotatable urinal of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an embodiment of the rotatable urinal combined with the toilet of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is another embodiment of the rotatable urinal combined with the toilet of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a view of a connecting tube for length adjustment of the rotatable urinal.

FIG. 6 is a disassembled cross-sectional view of a sliding tube for length adjustment.

FIG. 7 is a view of a rotary device for angel adjustment.

FIG. 8 is a view of a flexible tube for both the rotation and angel adjustments.

BEST MODE

A rotatable urinal includes a urinal body receiving urine, a rotatable connecting tube connected to a lower part of the urinal body, and a urinal drain tube connected to the connecting tube and a drain of a toilet body.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to the drawings, exemplary embodiments of a rotatable urinal combined with a toilet of the present invention will be described herein below. Although the embodiments have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings for the clarity of the present invention, the embodiments should not be construed as exemplary in every aspect and limiting.

As described in FIG. 1, the present invention comprises a urinal drain tube (20) of a U-shape trap provided in both rear sides of a toilet body of a conventional toilet, a urinal connecting tube (30) which is rotatable and height-adjustable, and a urinal body (40) including a lid (41), a water supply tube (50) and a water valve (42) for distributing and ejecting washing water.

The urinal drain tube (20) is provided in both rear sides of the toilet body and formed as one body type with the toilet body, which is to let users selectively assemble the rotatable urinal in the toilet body with considering the structure or space of the restroom or bathroom. Where, an inlet of an unused urinal drain tube can be covered with a cap.

The urinal drain tube (20) is formed as a U-shape trap to prevent urine stench from flowing backward, a lower part (21) of the urinal drain tube is connected to a toilet drain and an upper part (22) of the urinal drain tube is connected to the urinal connecting tube (30) over the toilet body.

The urinal connection tube (30) is a tube connecting the urinal drain tube (20) with the urinal body (40), which is made of ceramic, stainless steel or FRP and rotatable and height-adjustable.

The rotatable urinal can be rotated by using a coupling means that the urinal connecting tube (30) is slidingly inserted into the urinal drain tube (20) and their standing axis is maintained. For example, the coupling means includes a sliding bearing within the urinal drain tube to reduce the friction, a water-tightness ring or packing ring for water-tightness and air-tightness, and a nut to contract the coupling means.

FIG. 5 shows an exemplary embodiment showing a height adjustment of the urinal connecting tube (30), in which a sectional connecting tube using a straight tube (62) and a 90 degree elbow tube (61) is used to adjust a length of the straight tube (62) depending on the users' height. Where, once assembled, the height is fixed, however, if necessary, the height can be re-adjusted by replacing the straight tube (62) with another one having an appropriate length.

FIG. 6 shows another exemplary embodiment for the height adjustment. In this embodiment, a sliding tube of which length can be contracted or stretched out is used in a lower part of the urinal connecting tube (30), depending on the height of its users. In other words, the sliding tube consists of a fixed outer sliding tube and an inner sliding tube, and the outer sliding tube (70) has a guide groove (71) formed in a longitudinal direction on the inner circumference and a plurality of locking grooves (74) formed in the perpendicular direction with the guide groove (71). Also, the inner sliding tube (73), which is inserted into and slides in the outer sling tube, has a plurality of locking protrusions (72) on the outer circumference. Where, the plurality of locking protrusions (72) of the inner sliding tube is inserted or withdrawn along the guide groove (71) of the outer sliding tube and rotated along one of the plurality of locking grooves (74), and thereby the height can be adjusted.

FIG. 7 is an exemplary embodiment of a rotary means to adjust an angle, which is install in a lower part of the urinal body (40) to adjust its angle depending on users. The rotary means has a spherical body (84), a through hole (85) formed in the spherical body, a connecting tube (83) formed in one side thereof that is connected to the urinal body (40), and a funnel tube (83) formed in other side thereof and having an opening hole to discharge urine. A supporting body (81) is a fixing part configured to support the spherical body (84) so that the spherical body can be supported and rotated. The supporting body has a space of which diameter in a middle part is slighter larger than the diameter of the spherical body (84), and diameter in both end parts is lesser than the diameter of the body, and thereby holds and supports the spherical body so as not to escape from the supporting body. When the urinal body (40) being connected to the connecting tube (83) of the rotary means is rotated in an arbitrary degree, the spherical body (84) is rotated and thereby the rotation angle can be adjusted. Where, a water-tightness ring or a packing ring can be used between the supporting body (81) and the spherical body (84) for a purpose of the air-tightness and water-tightness.

FIG. 8 shows a flexible tube (90) used in another exemplary embodiment of height adjustment. The flexible tube (90) is a kind of corrugated duct used in water supply, and it can replace the urinal connecting tube (30) to adjust the rotation angle and height of the urinal body (40) by virtue of the flexibility and immovability of the corrugated duct.

The urinal body (40) includes a lid (41) on the upper part thereof for users to open and pull it back while urinating, a flexible water supply tube (50), a spray tube (43), a water supply valve (42) in the rear part configured to wash and clean the urinal, and a sensor configured to operate the water supply valve (42) in an arbitrary parts of the lid (41) or the urinal body (42).

The lid (41) of the rotatable urinal can be opened and closed manually by the users, or mechanically by the pneumatic or hydraulic power in accordance to a signal from a foothold button or a touch sensor.

The water supply valve (42) can be a foothold button type manual vale, or an actuator, such as a solenoid valve, operated by a sensor signal.

The sensor configured to activate the actuator of the water supply valve can be a human body detection sensor or a contact sensor.

FIG. 2 shows an exemplary embodiment of the installation of the sensor. The human body detection sensor (44 c), for example, an infrared sensor, is installed in the inside of the lid, and as the lid is opened, the sensor detects a human body and generates the signal to activate the valve. Electrical circuits can be buried inside the lid for aesthetics, or if the water supply vale and control PCB are oversized, the water supply valve (42) can be installed on a wall surface or on a water pipe where the water supply tube (50) is diverged from.

The water supply valve (42) configured to disperse washing water works when a user opens the lid and the human body detection signal is generated. Also, it works again after some time interval (e.g. 1 minute later) with considering urinating period. Washing water flushed before a user urinates forms a water film on the surface of the urinal body, which prevents the urine from attaching on the surface of the urinal body, thus makes it easy to wash the urine effectively, and also has a effectiveness of preventing the odor in advance. For saving more water, the water supply valve can be controlled by a controller, such as a micom, to operate just one time in a predetermined time after body detection signal is generated.

As another exemplary embodiment of the sensor, a motion sensor that detects a movement as the user opens or closes the lid can be used to generate the signal.

In case of using a contact sensor, contact terminals (44 a, 44 b) and electrical circuits can be installed in the urinal body (40) and the lid (41), respectively, so as to face each other. In other words, when the lid is closed, a closed-circuit is formed to stop the operation of the valve. When the lid is opened, an open circuit is formed and a signal to operate the water supply valve is generated. In this case also, the water supply valve can be controlled by the controller to disperse the washing water once or two times by making it work as soon as the open circuit is formed or after the predetermined time.

FIG. 2 shows the urinal body (40) rotated in 45 degrees and the lid (44) in open state, Also, an enlarged cross-sectional view of A-A part shows a lip threshold formed to the upper direction in an entry of the urinal body (40) configured to prevent urine from scattering and a spray tube (43) installed under the lip threshold to disperse the flushing water.

FIG. 3 shows the urinal body (40) rotated in 90 degree and positioned over the toilet body in order to use a space effectively, and shows the inside of the urinal body (40).

FIG. 4 shows another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, in which the water supply tube (50) and the urinal drain tube (20) are put together into the urinal connecting tube (30), and the trap is formed in a circle shaped to be neat in appearance.

In the above, although the embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, a person skilled in the art should apprehend that the present invention can be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the technical spirit or essential characteristics thereof. Thus, the embodiments described above should be construed as exemplary in every aspect and not limiting.

DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

10: Toilet body 20: Urinal drain tube 30: Urinal connecting tube 40: Urinal body 41: Lid 42: Water supply valve 43: Spray tube 44a, 44b: Contact terminal 44c: Human body detecting sensor 50: Water supply tube

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The present invention relates to a urinal which can reduce the amount of flushing water by combining the urinal into a general toilet body.

Also, the present invention relates to a urinal rotatable and height-adjustable for users to use the urinal in an appropriate position, thereby to prevent the contamination and the noise caused from the urine scattering. 

1. A rotatable urinal combined with a toilet, the rotatable urinal comprising: a urinal body receiving urine; a urinal connecting tube connected to a lower part of the urinal body, the urinal connecting tube being rotatable; a urinal drain tube connected to the urinal connecting tube and a toilet drain; and a rotation means configured to adjust a height and a rotation angle, wherein the rotation means includes a spherical body having a through hole in a lower part thereof to discharge the urine, and a supporting body configured to support the spherical body, wherein the urinal body includes a lid and a water supply tube and a water supply valve configured to disperse washing water; wherein an upper part of the urinal connecting tube is connected to the rotation means and an lower part of the urinal connecting tube is inserted into the urinal drain tube, wherein the urinal drain tube has a U-shape trap or a round-shape trap, a lower part of the urinal drain tube is connected to the toilet drain, a upper part of the urinal drain tube is formed on both sides of a rear part of the toilet body so that the urinal connecting tube and the urinal body can be assembled in one of the right side or the left side depending on users.
 2. The rotatable urinal combined with the toilet as in claim 1, wherein the lid includes a human body sensor, the human body sensor activating the water supply valve when the lid is open and a sensing signal is generated.
 3. The rotatable urinal combined with the toilet as in claim 1, wherein the lid and the urinal body have one of a contact terminal and a contact sensor, the contact terminal and the contact sensor facing each other, wherein the contact sensor activates the water supply valve when the lid is open and a sensor circuit is open 